The price of fuel, equipment, materials and staff has been on the rise in recent years. As a result, the cost of building and maintaining facilities has also gone up. Facilities management companies can no longer compete on low pricing. The biggest differentiator between them is now customer service. Customer expectations are high. Many expect same day fixes and being kept fully informed in real-time. One of the most important ways to improve customer service in facilities management is mobile working.
The use of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices drives communication and collaboration. Mobile working allows employees to access information and stay connected at all times. It also makes it easier for managers to track progress and address problems in real-time. More and more companies are getting onboard. From 2018 to 2023, the use of handheld mobile computers with built-in barcode scanners was forecast to grow by 45 percent, mobile printers by 53 percent and rugged tablets by 54 percent.
The benefits of mobile working to customer service are numerous. Some of the most important ones include:
Boost first time fix rate
Customers expect problems to be fixed first time, fast.
GPS in mobile devices allows visibility of your facilities management field workers locations in real-time. Location information can be cross referenced with SLAs, parts information and technician skills. Your office staff can use this data to decide who to send to which job. This allows better technician allocation, better use of your fleet and more responsive customer service. Dynamic scheduling and fast dispatch of the right technician, with the right parts, increases the likelihood of first time fixes. This is a sure fire way of keeping customers coming back.
Enhance customer contacts
Mobile working allows team members to review equipment repair history so that they arrive at the customer site with full knowledge of the issue. Therefore, the customer doesn’t need to spend time relaying the history of the issue with the technician, or trying to find documentation. Technicians can access online documents, specifications, parts inventories and order parts deliveries all whilst onsite. This all adds up to more satisfied customers.
Reduce delays
Customers now expect instant information and follow up. In the past they had to wait for paperwork to be sent back to office staff for reports to be processed and sent out. Mobile working allows technicians to use the latest technology to capture data and manage workflows. Mobile forms apps like Rugged Data mean that facilities management workers can record job information as they go. They can take photos which are added to automated reports. These reports can be shared immediately with customers and office staff, keeping them informed in real-time. In addition, instant access to job data means that office staff can raise error free invoices quickly.
Build customer trust
Equipping facilities management workers with mobile technology allows them to access all service visit information. Technicians are able to answer any queries on the spot. Completed work can be verified and shared with office staff immediately with electronic signatures. Additionally, reporting apps allow photos, like before and after shots, to be added to reports seamlessly. Technicians can check in with NFC or Bluetooth locationing to prove when they were onsite. Customers and office staff have digital evidence of work carried out, when it took place and how long it took. This transparency builds trust between your company and your customers.
If your facilities management business is not already taking advantage of mobile working, now is the time to start. Implementing a mobile strategy can help you boost first time fix rate, enhance customer contact, reduce delays and build customer trust – all of which can give your company a competitive edge in today’s marketplace.
Nuffield Technologies can help you to find the right rugged phones or rugged tablets for your business. Get in touch to talk through your challenges, and we can recommend and source the best mobile devices for your needs.